Civil and military situations introduce the need to transport supplies by air, particularly when rough terrain or combat conditions pose access challenges to other means of transportation. In such cases, helicopters are commonly used for the task of carrying loads from one spot to another.
Loads can be carried inside the helicopter fuselage or externally using slings. In the case that sling loads are used, supplies are packed and hung outside the helicopter using slings. The slings are typically attached to a hook located on the underside of the helicopter fuselage. At the drop-off point, a ground crew releases the load from the sling.
Delivery of a single load may be performed without a ground crew by releasing the sling and leaving the load in the area. However, some situations require the delivery of different loads to multiple locations. Where multiple deliveries are required, it has usually been necessary to send separate helicopter sorties to each location, each sortie delivering a single load. Alternatively, it has been necessary for a ground crew to be present at each destination to unload the required load separately. Both options are wasteful. Running multiple helicopter sorties is financially expensive and may be dangerous. Sending a single helicopter with multiple loads is time consuming, as the process of freeing loads from the sling needs to be repeated at each stop. It will be appreciated that in combat situations, a lengthy procedure may endanger the helicopter, its personnel and the ground crew.
Existing multiple load delivery systems, such as the system on Kaman BURRO helicopters, require the provision of a system of multiple hooks from which each load may be supported on a dedicated sling and individually released by an electrical device controlled by the pilot or operator. It will be appreciated, however that where the system of multiple hooks is not installed upon the helicopter, the Burro system may not be suitable. Furthermore, releasing slings from the hooks causes the overall balance of the aircraft to change during flight. In addition, the pilot must take precautions to prevent the multiple sling loads from becoming entangled.
The need remains therefore, for an efficient system to distribute supplies to multiple sites in a single sortie without the help of ground crews. Embodiments described hereinbelow address this need.